


Tightrope

by mirkwood131



Series: EXO Central [17]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, Best Friends, F/M, Fluff, Genderswap, Girl Chanyeol, M/M, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-07 12:44:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14081211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirkwood131/pseuds/mirkwood131
Summary: Kyungsoo is forced to go on a roadtrip with his former high school best friend, Chanyeol, and somehow, the past seeps back into their lives, following them throughout their journey, until they eventually have to face it and their feelings altogether.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea of a roadtrip!au for quite a while in my mind, with a different story line though, but I'm kind of digging where this is going.  
> song recom: [ XO-Chvrches ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvH6XcFGPAE)  
> hope you'll enjoy :)

“Take your feet off of that.” Kyungsoo says, slapping the person’s feet.

“This is nice. Like old times.”

“There are no old times. I’m only doing this because your mother is persuasive.” he says as he taps his fingers on the steering wheel.

“Relax a little. You’re tense.”

“I’m tense because I have to babysit you for an entire weekend.”

“You act like I’m such a burden.”

“You are, Chanyeon.” Kyungsoo says.

And silence falls over them as Chanyeon’s feet fall down on the rubberized mat on the floor. She opens the window on her side, waving one arm through the air and then, she quickly presses the button for the one on her left.

“Close them.”

“If I knew you’d still be this cranky. When you were 19 I really thought it was only the hormones. But now…is it the menopause?”

“I’m not in the mood for lame jokes.” Kyungsoo says, pressing both buttons himself.

“That could have sliced my arm in two.” she says, staring at her limb.

“No, it wouldn’t have done that.”

“How do you know?”

“I’m a doctor.”

“Do your patients really like you? If I remember correctly, when you were in high school I was your only friend, which is quite embarrassing since-”

“Would you just shut up?” he says, glancing at her. “Just shut up and don’t touch anything.”

“I’m 19. You cannot tell me what to do.”

“Great.” he whispers.

“Don’t be like this. For a 19 year old I have great legs. You’ve always loved my legs.” Chanyeon laughs, lifting them up on the board once again.

“I actually paid for this car. Real money. Would you take your dirty feet off of it?!”

“And if I don’t you’ll do…what?” she asks, raising her eyebrows.

And then, right then, the car stops and Chanyeon’s feet fall down on the floor.

“Are you out of your mind?!”

“Get out.”

“What?!”

“Get out of my car!”

“No.”

“Get out now, Chanyeon! I am not kidding.” Kyungsoo says, opening the door on his side.

“No.”

“Now.” he says, standing right next to her, still holding tightly the edge of the door.

“Kyungsoo…fine. I will keep my feet on the damn floor.”

“Good.” he says, shutting the door close.

“So…you are allowed to do that. There’s not even dust on there.” she says.

“There is and I’m not talking about anything with you.” Kyungsoo says.

“Fine.”

It’s silent once again, until Chanyeon turns on the radio and raises the volume.

“I love this song. You loved this song too. We have-”

“Just shut up.”

“This is the worst road trip on the planet.” she sighs, looking out of the window. “So you haven’t missed me one bit, have you?”

Kyungsoo coughs and speeds up on the road, until they are right behind a truck.

“And you won’t ever ever forgive me. Like… never?” she asks.

Kyungsoo presses the start button and the radio suddenly stops.

“Thanks for the message…honestly. Subtle.” she says, sighing.

“I’ve told your mother that I’m busy and in no damn mood to hang around for two days with you. Excluding the fact that we haven’t seen each other in 5 years-”

“And whose fault is that?”

“Yours.”

“Mine?! I’ve called you every week after you left for university…I tried to fix things. You didn’t.”

“What was there to fix?” he asks, glancing at her. “Just admit that you screwed things up big time and that there’s no coming back to how things were.”

“Cut me some slack. I was 14 and you 19. You should have known better.”

“I-I…”

“Acting like a douche doesn’t help any of us.”

Kyungsoo sighs, hitting the steering wheel with his closed fist and then, the car stops once again on the edge of the road and his finger presses the start button of the radio.

Chanyeon’s fingers tighten around the door handle, breathing in deeply a couple of times before she steps outside and shuts the door close with a slam.

“Damn it! This fucking shit cost me money!” Kyungsoo yells, hitting the steering wheel once again.

He looks up, at Chanyeon walking away from the car, dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a loose white t-shirt. Her legs glisten in the bright yellow light of the sun and he lets out another sigh before he gets out of the car.

“Chanyeon!”

“Go away. I’m hitch hiking home.”

“No, you are not!” he yells, running towards her, making all the red dust on the side of the road stir up.

“Yes, I am.”

“Don’t be crazy.” he says, grabbing her arm. “You are not hitch hiking.”

“It was a mistake, alright. I didn’t mean any of that to happen but you just simply love torturing me like I’m the most horrible person on this freaking planet.” she says, slapping his hand until the grip on her arm loosens.

“Why can’t you take responsibility?”

“Why can’t you too? I’ve screwed up and you screwed up too.” she says, breaking free from his grip.

“You-you made me do it. Because of you…”

“You are the one who did it! You!!” she screams. “You. Not me. You. Forgive for once.”

“I can’t.” he says, shaking his head.

“I’m hitch hiking.” she says.

“You are not because you are on a road trip with me and not on one to the morgue.”

“Stop saying that. Stop. I’m sorry. Do you know how much I regret forcing you to do that?”

“No, I don’t. And I don’t care. Come. You are not hitch hiking.”

“Yes. I am.” she says, waving her hand right when a bright red car approaches them; it stops right in front of her. “Can you give me a lift to the next town?”

“Sure, cupcake.” the man says, giving her a smile that misses a couple of teeth.

“She’s with me…sir. You can go.”

“Let cupcake over here say what she wants. Maybe she wants a ride with me.”

“I’m alright. He’s right. I’m with him.” Chanyeon says, glancing at Kyungsoo and then back at the man who spits on the ground, right next to her Converse.

“Too bad.” the man says and drives away in a cloud of red dust that falls back on their bodies.

“See. This is the kind of stuff-this is what…why don’t you ever learn, Chanyeon?!”

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry…”

“That’s not enough.” he says.

“No…nothing is ever enough for you.” she says, walking back towards the car.

The sun is reflecting on the metal and when Chanyeon touches it, she immediately jumps in surprise. “Damn it!”

“Here…” Kyungsoo says, opening the door for her.

“If this is your way of apologizing…”

“I am not apologizing.”

“Sure you aren’t.”

“You can turn on the radio.” he says.

“I thought you didn’t like it.”

“Not that song.”

“You used to love that song. We used to love that song.” she says, glancing at him.

“Used to…” he laughs, tapping one finger on the black leather. “People change.”

“Do they?” she asks.

He laughs one more time, smiling for the first time since he saw her. “I hope so.”

“I missed you.” Chanyeon says

“I know.” he whispers. “Me too.”

“Good…”

“That’s not good.” he sighs, biting the inside of his cheek; he tastes blood in his mouth and he only gulps it down.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it seems like the updates for this fic will be rather short.  
> i started this without a clear idea in my mind and as i somehow progress with this, i'm starting to become less and less sure about where this is leading...  
> i also honestly believe that baekhyun should have been chanyeol's character in this fic, but now it's too late ;_;  
> anyways, enjoy :)

“Fuuuck!” Kyungsoo yells, shutting the door close. “Fuck.”

He paces around, his hands moving from his hips to his hair every five seconds.

“Fuck.”

“You’ve probably just took the wrong turn or something.” Chanyeon says as she walks towards him. “It’s a road trip. Embrace the-”

“We are lost in the middle of the fucking desert. How is this alright?!”

“This is a gas station-”

“A closed one.”

“And that’s a road. A road. People use this road. It will take us somewhere.” she sighs.

“Where? To the ass crack of the fucking desert?!”

“Just calm down.” she whispers.

“We are low on gas. There’s 50 km back to the main road and God knows where this one is taking us because it’s on no fucking map. How should I calm down?”

“Because you have to…”

“Ha. Ha-ha. Funny. This is what you said the last time too. Oh, wait, because it was all your fault and I had no other choice.” he says, laughing as he rubs off the sweat on his brow.

“It was just an accident. You know it. Nobody knows about it. Nobody cares about him.” she says, sitting down on the warm asphalt.

“So this is how you make yourself feel better.” he huffs. “God, it’s so hot…”

“I still love you…” she says, glancing at him.

“What?”

“I still love you. I wanted it to be special…” she whispers.

“You were 14, for God’s sake…”

“And…”

“Stand up. We are leaving.” he says.

“Where?”

“To the ass crack of the desert.”

“Great.” she mumbles.

“No, this is not great, this is all your mother’s fault.”

“Hers?! You took the wrong turn.”

“If it weren’t for her, I’d be home right now. Not in the middle of the desert with YOU!”

“Do you hate me this much?” she asks, getting inside the car.

“Just shut up. If the car stops before we get in a town I swear…” he mumbles.

“And our parents really think that you are a nice a guy.”

“I am when I’m not with you.” he says, glancing at her.

“Ouch.” she says, wiggling down to the floor. “That hurt.”

“This is not good, this is not good.” he whispers, looking straight ahead.

“Calm down. There must be a town around here.”

“And what if it isn’t?!”

“Then you’ll hate me even when we are dead.”

“Funny.”

Chanyeon laughs, licking her bottom lip and then, her hand falls down on Kyungsoo’s thigh.

“Wha-”

“If we are going to die…let’s at least finish what we started.” she says, slowly squeezing the flesh between her fingers.

“Damn it. Are you out of your mind?!”

“Just stop the car…” she whispers, her fingers moving up and up, until she suddenly grabs his crotch and the car stops with a screeching noise.

“Get out.” he says.

“No.”

“Get the fuck out of here, Chanyeon. Get the fuck out or I swear I’ll hit you.” he says, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.

“No. I know you still want me. I know it.” she says.

“I killed a man because of you. I killed a man and every single fucking night I keep seeing his face and that fucking glass in his neck. Get out right now!”

“Kyungsoo…” she whispers.

“Get out. It’s the last time I’m asking you. Don’t force me to do something I don’t want to.”

“Fine.” she says, opening the door. “Fine.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Kyungsoo! Kyung-” she screams, as the red dust covers her, infiltrating into her lungs and clawing at them like a stumpy hand, squeezing them dry. “Damn it!” she mumbles, falling to the ground as the black car gets lost into the distance. “Damn it.” Chanyeon says one more time before she closes her eyes and falls backwards, her head hitting the dirt with a muffled thud.

“Fuck.”

The only thing that she can see in the blackness is red, covering everything, smelling so strongly of iron. It slowly covers some hands, her hands, his hands, small splatters all over their faces.

“I-I killed him. I actually killed him. He’s-he’s dead. Dead.” he says, bursting out into laughter. “De-dead…dead.”

“Kyungsoo…” she mumbles, touching his arm; her fingers stick down to the skin as the blood is slowly dripping down on her Converses.

“I killed him.” he says between laughs.

“We-we should call the police…it was an accident. He was-he was trying to hurt me. You saved me.” she says. “You did.”

“I killed him.” he laughs, looking down at the still body.

“Kyungsoo…” she whispers, covering her bare arms with her hands. “We need to call the police…”

“And get me arrested?! Breaking news: 19 year old arrested after he kills a dude who has tried to rape his 14 year old girlfriend that he himself was planning to fuck the same night.” he says and then, he bursts out into laughter once again. “We…I am not calling the police.” he says. “You are not calling the police. I can’t go to jail. I-I want to go to college and get a degree and be a doctor and-and…”

“Please…I-I would tell them…you’ve only tried to protect me…” she whispers.

“And I almost fucked you. You! How did you…14. 14, Chanyeol. Illegal!! I cannot go to jail because of you.” he laughs.

“You won’t…I’ll tell them I did it. I killed him. Not you. I killed him. Kyungsoo…I killed him.”

“Put something on you. You’re freezing.” he says, walking away.

“Kyungsoo!!” she screams, opening her eyes. “Kyungsoo…don’t leave me here…I don’t want to die…I’m so sorry…it was an accident.” she says, as she pushes herself to her feet.

In the distance there’s only red dust and as she starts running and running, and after a while, when her lungs feel like exploding, she can clearly discern the contours of a black car.

“Kyungsoo…Kyungsoo!” she yells, beginning to cough.

“It stopped. It fucking stopped.”

“Kyungsoo?”

“The fucking car just stopped in the middle of the nowhere.” he says, walking towards her. “It just stopped.” he laughs, leaning down on his knees.

“Can you actually believe it?” he says between giggles.

“Kyungsoo…what are we going to do?” she asks, stepping towards him.

“Walk? The fuck knows.” he laughs one more time.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For everything.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

“Take the water. And backpack. And blanket.” Kyungsoo says, searching through the car.

“Are you seriously thinking that there’s no town around?”

“I don’t know what I’m thinking honestly.” he laughs, glancing at her. “It’s like one of those shitty movies when everything goes from worse to worst.”

“Maybe a car will…”

“We’ve been on this damn road for 2 hours. Or 3. Did you see any car except for my stupid one?! Should I also tell you that there’s no signal?”

“Calm down…we’re going to find something. We’ve always figured things out.” she says, touching his hand.

“Do you still love me?” he asks, looking at her with a slight smile.

“Yes.” she says, squeezing his flesh between her fingers.

“You shouldn’t.” he laughs, stepping closer to Chanyeon.

His fingers touch her chin, lifting up her head and then letting it fall down. “You really shouldn’t.”

“Do you…do you still have feelings for me?” she asks, gulping down.

“Not the way you want them…” he sighs, leaning forward until their lips almost touch, so close that her breath warms up his face so he closes his eyes, pressing his mouth onto hers.

Even like this, he can still taste the light flavor of bubblegum, the small cracks in the lips that feel rough on his own.

“Kyungsoo…” she whispers, rashly taking off the black hoodie she is wearing.

“Cha-this is not…”

“Please…I’ve been waiting for this for so long.” she whispers, kissing the side of his mouth. “Please.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t.” he says, pushing her off of him.

“Kyungsoo…you said that you…you love me.”

“And I do. But I cannot do this with you. Not now.” he sighs.

“Of course you can…”

“You are a minor. I’m not. It’s illegal.”

“You didn’t say that yesterday.” she says, opening the door of the car and then running down the dark street.

“Chanyeon. Damn it.”

“Kyungsoo…” she whispers.

“We need to get going. It’s pretty late and I have no fucking idea where this damn road is going.”

“How mad are you?” she asks.

“Jus-just walk. And don’t talk…I want to be over with this.”

“So you are extremel mad but by shutting me up you think you solve something. Just admit that you still like me.” she says, looking at him.

“Don’t fool yourself.” he says, walking away from her.

 

**Author's Note:**

> comments and feedback are appreciated <3


End file.
